A beautiful 40 year old vintage Glen Garioch, bottled by the folks at Morrison Bowmore for The Whisky Exchange and released at The Whisky Show in 2011. 1971 Glen Garioch is known for being more peaty than usual, and this delicate, restrained old school dram has a lovely thread of smoke, plus tropical fruit and medicine cabinet aromas. Fabulous.

Tasting Notes by WhiskyNotes' Ruben

Nose: Gentle but also very complex. First there’s a discreet and slightly tropical fruitiness (passion fruit, grapefruit) mixed with fresh eucalyptus and a velvety, sooty smokiness. Quite some leather and wax. Wet leaves. A smooth and worthy 1971.

Mouth: Not extremely punchy but quite boldly peated for a Glen Garioch (closer to Port Ellen than Brora for instance). Hints of mustard cress and bitter oranges, as well as some sourish oak juices that are a little too prominent maybe. Lapsang tea. A little austere although there are traces of sweeter fruits towards the end.

Finish: Very long with plenty of sooty peat, liquorice and bitter oranges.With its relatively heavy peat, waxy nose and a slightly austere and mustardy palate, this comes really close to the late 1970’s – early 1980’s Brora profile in my opinion. You have to like this style and spend a lot of money though.

Score: 91/100

Tasting Notes by Tim F

Nose: Gentle and delicate, but very complex, with wet wool, bandages, liniment and faint smoke. Develops some orangey notes, like Cointreau or tangerine skin, some grapefruit and delicate hints of incense, like a joss stick in another room. A thread of coalsmoke or soot winds its way through what is an altogether captivating aroma. Becomes more oaky like old furniture - an old medicine cabinet, in fact.

Palate: Fabulous clean oak, then a mouthwatering sweetness of tropical fruit (grapefruit, oranges, kiwi fruit and perhaps lychee). Then the bandagey aromas and wet wool. Develops a menthol note. Follows very closely to the nose, which is obviously a very good thing.

Finish: Oak and fruit with a wisp of smoke. Not immensely long, but fades beautifully.

Comment: At forty years of age, this legendary vintage can still come up with the goods. An truly elegant dram, balancing on a knife-edge to create a study of fruit, smoke and oak in the classic Highland tradition.